Childhood ought to be a carefree time, however youngsters could be stigmatized, bullied, and ridiculed — all for missing a pair of respectable footwear.
As of 2019, 1 in 7 kids in america was dwelling in poverty and footwear are one of the crucial seen indicators of that situation.
KSHB 41 Information Anchor Kevin Holmes personally skilled the sinking, embarrassing feeling of going to high school with no cool pair of “kicks.”
He recollects rising up on Chicago’s south aspect when Michael Jordan and his athletic footwear dominated supreme. Holmes’ sneakers got here from Payless Shoe Supply the place the in-house model of Pro Wings for males ran $12.99 a pair in 1989.
Now Holmes is main his station’s Gift of Sole initiative to assist 300 youngsters get a pleasant pair of sneakers.
The marketing campaign is accepting monetary donations on-line and by textual content. These might be used to purchase sneakers for youngsters whose dad and mom are financially struggling and can’t afford the footwear.
“We’re attempting to boost sufficient cash to supply footwear for these youngsters to allow them to have a pleasant pair of sneakers, particularly as we head into the winter months,” mentioned Holmes.
The long-term purpose is to run Present of Sole yearly and maybe time it to different back-to-school occasions in order that college students have new footwear to put on in the beginning of the tutorial 12 months.
As Holmes identified, “We’re attempting to supply these sneakers in order that these youngsters have one much less factor to give attention to within the classroom. They’ve so many obstacles proper now to beat . . . however footwear, a pleasant pair of sneakers, should not be considered one of them.”
Present of Sole runs by means of Friday, Oct. 15. Donations could be made at KSHB.com or by texting KSHB to 345345.
